The Short History of JavaScript

September 30, 2010 robinhodges

JavaScript is a scripting language that enables the user to be interactive with the site. So when the user tells the page to do something, JavaScript steps in to make sure it does what it is supposed to when it is supposed to. And JavaScript allows the page to respond immediately without having to reload the page each time a task is performed.

JavaScript has really only been around for about 15 years. It was a concept created by Brendan Eich of Netscape, with the original name of Mocha. It was then renamed LiveScript when it was released for the Netscape Navigator 2.0 in September 1995. In December of 1995, Netscape joined with Sun Microsystems, in a co-marketing deal that came to the now well know JavaScript. The change of name from LiveScript to JavaScript roughly coincided with Netscape adding support for Java technology into its web browser.

Many may get confused and think that JavaScript and Java are one in the same. Though the two have some similar scripting language names and naming conventions, that is all the two have in common. Both programming languages are very different from the other and have entirely different semantics.

So even though JavaScript is still in it’s “teens”, so to say, it has quickly become one of the most popular scripting languages on the web. And with the coalition of Ajax, JavaScript has grown even more in use and capabilities.